The
Savina monastery, located near the town of Herceg-Novi, was
built amidst rich mediterranean vegetation in one of the most
attractive corners of the northern Montenegrin coast. The name
originates from the 4th Century martyr St. Sabbi. There is
considerable controversy regarding its age. The monastery consists
of three churches: the church of the Assumption, the church
of St.Sava of Serbia and the larger cathedral of the Assumption.
The church of the Assumption is very small, only ten meters long and six meters
wide. It probably dates back to 1030, although the earliest
written reference to the monastery dates from 1648. According
to tradition, the monastery was renovated by the monks, led
by the Bishop Ljubibratic, who fled the Tvrdos monastery in
Herzegovina to escape the Turkish onslaught. The church possesses
rich treasures from the Nemanjic period, including the shroud
from the Tvrdos monastery, the remains of the wife of the tzar
Dusan of Serbia, a silver-plated hand said to be that of the
queen Jelena, a crystal cross decorated with gold, silver and
four rubies, said to have belonged to St.Sava, and many other
objects of historical interest. The church of St.Sava, whose
construction is attributed to Sava Nemanjic, is located outside
the monastery, on a wooded hill. The cathedral of the Assumption
was built between 1777 and 1799 by builder Nikola Foretic from
the island of Korcula.